LT strives to improve its environment for its students, and one way administrators hear student opinions is through the Peaceable Schools Initiative (PSI) forums conducted at both campuses every year. Held in the library on Jan. 23 at SC, this year’s forums sponsored by the PSI club were a success at gathering student input on manners of institutional development. 

“PSI started a long time ago in 1990’s as a way to have students, staff and community members feel welcomed in the school community,” Michelle Harbin, one of the PSI club sponsors said. “And we want students to have a voice, so that is usually what our events try to foster.”

Harbin, Gary Morrill, and Annette Oricoare are sponsors of the PSI club and host meetings every other week on Wednesdays after school in an effort to bring the school together and work on reforming it. 

“With the forums students get to come up with school ideas,” Harbin said. “It can be things they want to change or things they like and then students have a chance to listen to and communicate with administrators and teachers to advocate for change or encourage continuing programs.” 

The purpose of these forums is to help LT become a stronger and healthier place for its students’ education to thrive. Clubs like PSI that are open to new students assist with academic improvements LT aims to achieve. In hopes that the  forums run smoothly, PSI had to work to achieve this beforehand, by holding meetings to prepare for hosting the event. 

“PSI students send out invitations to the panel members, and then the panel members fill out a form indicating which periods in November and January they can attend,” Harbin said. “Then we create a letter inviting teachers to bring their classes.”

Before the forums, PSI club members also run a mock forum to practice what to say in various situations and engage as many people as possible. Members sitting in also help conduct the forums by compiling a long list of ideas students inquire about to advocate for improving the student environment and what the school has already done that students appreciate. 

“You basically plan out events to help the school and the community,” Autumn Schmidt ‘25, executive board member and president of PSI said. “The forums we are doing [are] to hear students’ voices; it’s cool to voice out opinions to the school board and actually make changes.” 

With a tight-knit community like this one, students enjoy being able to come together in the various events hosted by their club. Besides the forums at both campuses every year, PSI also hosts activities like lunch-ins, study breaks, the homecoming fair and the Peers Educating Peers (PEP) fair at SC. 

“I also noticed [PSI] impacts people that come to the meetings,” Schmidt said. “There may be people that don’t have an after-school club to go to, or who are a bit lonely and just need some friends, so it creates a community for them, which is really important because it’s a really big school and sometimes it’s hard to find people you can talk to.” 

PSI Club members are looking forward to continuing to encourage students to speak up on ways to help improve the school community.